Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz ( Orphan X #11)

Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My thanks to NetGalley for the advnace reading copy, this is not a paid review.

Long live the Nowhere Man! Hurwitz raises the bar with every X book. Now, in #11, we see the tremendous growth of Evan Smoak come to full fruition. This is a series that has consistently had the chops when it comes to action and great writing, now Hurwitz brings Orphan X the complete 360 degrees when it comes to his emotions and the consequences of some actions.
When a young woman who suffers seizures is kidnapped off of the subway by 4 thoroughly detestable individuals and is subjected to a mind numbing amout of degardadtion it is up to the Nowhere Man to find her.
Old freakishly smart stalwart, Luke Devine has a girl with him that was helping the other woman mentioned but left her top meet Luke, she is overcome with the grief of the action and Luke knows who to call, not just for her, but for himself.
Evan finds the woman, Anca, but in her he finds a forgiving soul who will not let him dispense justice the X way, meaning, no killing.
Reluctantly, Evan agrees, but the inner turmoil is briliant in its display within his thought processes. We of course have the brilliant Josephine as well, as Candy McClure along to help.
In short, this is X as you have never seen him before.
Great book!


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Savage Son by Jack Carr ( Terminal List #3)

Savage Son by Jack Carr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jack Carr is the real deal. As someone who has lived much of what his protagonist, James Reecc goes through, it is apparent that Carr's skill in telling a story is powerful.
Another great entry in the series, this time the elusive Oliver Grey has made it to Russia and ingratiated himself with the lead mob boss there. In exchange for his loyalty and help, Grey will be given a chance to go after Reece and his friend Raife Hastings. On American soil no less. Add into the mix that the mob boss's son is in the Russian military intelligence apparatus and also a psychopath that hunts humans on the remote Medny Island along with Grey's plane and Reece is in for a wild ride.

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Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz ( Orphan X #10)

Nemesis by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We live in a time that those of us who love great thriller writing as well as great characters, are just giddy with the choices we have before us in our reading pursuits..
We have some guys that have been around for awhile. Robert Crais, David Baldacci, Brad Thor, Ken Follett, Dean Koontz, Harlan Coben, and a few others that are just like an old friend or a cozy pair of jeans.
Then, we have the new kids on the block. Nick Petrie, James Byrnes, Jack Carr, Don Bentley. All great, all well worth reading, and all just plain awesome. But, there is only one Orphan X and his creator Gregg Hurwitz. The continued excellence of this series is one to behold and every year I am just so excited to read the new X book. Book 10, Nemesis, is another great read in this excellent series. You can keep your Collee Hoover and Freida McFadden, and all of the other Walmart staples. This series is an experience.
Nemesis picks up right after the events of Lone Wolf, our favorite dysfunctional and socially awkward assassin is trying to come to grips with an ethical and moral problem involving his only friend, Tommy Stojak. How could Tommy allow bad people purchase his one of a kind weapons. Totally discounting the fact that X, Evan himself, has benefited from Tommy's expertise. In Evan's mind it means war with Tommy. Conflicted and as bad ass as ever, Evan needs closure, even if it means the death of his only friend.
In the meantime, Tommy is trying to help the son of an old buddy from the service who is in a world of trouble. As Evan tracks Tommy across the country to this situation he becomes aware of something that only the Nowhere Man can bring closure to. Even if Tommy is in the way and fights him tooth and nail.
Add into the mix a corrupt sheriff, rampant racism and 4 killers who brand themselves the Four Horsemen who are also on Tommy's trail and you have the makings of one of the best Orphan X novels in recent memory, even though all are excellent.
Just where does friendship end, and what does true friendship mean. You will find out in Nemesis.

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Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz ( Orphan X #9)

Lone Wolf by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Special thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for the Advance Reading Copy. This is not a paid review.
I would actually pay to read this series! There are a few spoilers, be aware.
The Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz is by far the best thriller series that is currently in process. Every book is better than the last and Lone Wolf is the best so far. After 9 books it is astounding the growth that Hurwitz imbues in Evan Smoak.
Unlike previous X books, Lone Wolf starts a little different. Evan answers his Roamzone with his typical, "How can I help you?" Only to hear the voice of his estranged brother, Andre's daughter Sofia. Asking The Nowhere Man to find her dog. A snaggle toothed psychotic mutt.
Thus begins an X like other.
Feeling the need to help this little girl, who is family, Evan isn't quite sure how to navigate. Feelings aren't his thing. So, using all the tools at his disposal including the massively awesome hacking and computer skills of his ward, Joey, they set out to find the missing mutt.
They get a ping from a traffic camera of the dog being picked up by a nice looking gentleman and they track him to his home.
In the meantime, there is an assassin afoot that is as brutally efficient as the Nowhere Man and her next target is the man in question who just happens to be a genius AI developer.
As Evan gets to the house to procure the dog, he finds the door open and the good doctor killed with the assassin still there.
What follows is a tour d force of action, and drama with purely joyous exchanges between Evan and those who become involved. Insane billionaires, a beautiful assassin, and most of all Joey and the doctor's teenage daughter who has a bullseye painted on her back which Evan must save. . This is Smoak at his best.

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The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz ( Orphan X #8)

The Last Orphan by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are not a lot of superlatives left to say about how great this series is. Top three currently being written in the thriller genre. The continued growth of the characters and story arc are just amazing.
In The Last Orphan, Evan has the unthinkable happen. He is actually captured by the President using any and all resources at her disposal. He has two choices, do a job for the government for a pardon or languish in prison the rest of his life.
As you will find, he chooses neither but still delves into the figure wanted killed by the President. A billionaire who has tremendous control over US policy as well as other countries. What follows is a nuanced investigation by X if the individual in question deserves to die. Because innocents have died maybe at the billionaires hand, maybe not. X needs to find out. Joey is back as well as our favorite bad girl, Candy.
This is just hits on all levels!!!

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The Big Empty by Robert Crais ( Elvis Cole and Pike #20)

The Big Empty by Robert Crais
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Robert Crais is a master of the genre. This is another standout.
Elvis Cole and Pike are two of the best creations in thriller writing to come out in the last 20 years. I feel sorry for those who have never read Robert Crais.
I discovered a paperback of The Monkey's Raincoat right after it came out in 1987. I was looking for something different and boy did I find it. After page one I was hooked and looked forward to the next Elvis Cole or Pike story. I've read them all and love them. The Big Empty is no different which is saying something. How do you keep something fresh for 30 plus years?!?
This time around, Elvis is approached by a baker/influencer who's career is on the rise. But, now that she has become pretty wealthy and older she wants Elvis to find out what happened to her father who disappeared 10 years earlier.
Even though there was a very thorough investigation by a very good PI firm when he disappeared, Elvis takes the job unable to resist the persuasive young baker.
In the course of his detecting, Elvis finds more than he bargained for and the knowledge that her father was not who he appeared to be at home. There are twists and turns, bodily harm and the ever enigmatic Pike. No spoilers here. It will ruin your experience. Read The Monkey's Raincoat and then rejoice that you have 19 more books to read.

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Dead Lock by James Byrne (Dez Limerick #2)

Deadlock by James Byrne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was awesome. A special thank you to Net Galley for the ebook ARC, this is not a paid review.
The first Dez Limerick thriller The Gatekeeper) was great and this takes it to the next level. This gives me extremely high hopes for my future reading happiness. It is one of those series that when you are reading the first book , you are like... "This is something special." and you get that little tingle of discovery. It's that good.

In Deadlock, Dex travels to Portalnd to help out a friend /fellow musician (Raziah), whose sister (Laleh) has just been attacked and doesn't know why. IT seems that Lalaeh is a reporter and a friend of hers, and auditor had discovered something weird while doing an audit of the communications company, Clockjack.. ( Think Apple and you get the picture). The auditor is killed and then the reporter attacked. Enter Dez to help the sisters and figure out what is going on while making sure that nothing else happens.
As Dez arrives Laleh is in the hospital and Dez thwarts another attack. Hmmm... Laleh has no idea why.
Clockjack itself is a do-gooder company ( in their eyes) but there are things behind the scenes that don't add up.
Add in the DEA, the Us Marshall's, some very bad mercenaries and people high up in Clockjack who aren't who they say they are and some mischief being done in a small African country and you have one hell of a story.
Read The Gatekeeper now and then pick up Deadlock. You will not be disappointed. Dez Limerick is hilarious and also quite the bad ass himself and if the ending is any indicator, book 3 is going to be a killer!

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The Big Dark Sky by Dean Koontz

The Big Dark Sky by Dean Koontz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dean Koontz is the old friend that rarely disappoints and is just so, damn likeable. So, even keel and even if you haven't seen him in a few years, the time away doesn't matter.
I really don't relish my reading life once Mr. Koontz passes over to the next life. He is just such an entertaining writer. And the best thing? Nothing is farfetched.. It all makes sense.
The Big Dark Sky has it all. Great characters, strange happenings and inexplicable events.
Just read Koontz. You won't be sorry.

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The House at the End of the World by Dean Koontz

The House at the End of the World by Dean Koontz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been married for 39 years.. and been reading Koontz for almost as long and he has only disappointed me 3 times in all of those years. Sometimes a few years have passed without my reading a Koontz, then I read one and wonder why I haven’t kept up.
Simply put he is in a category all his own.. no one comes close.
In The House at the End of the World he does it again. In retreat from a devastating loss and crushing injustice, Katie lives alone in a fortress-like stone house on Jacob’s Ladder island. Once a rising star in the art world, she finds refuge in her painting.

The neighboring island of Ringrock houses a secret: a government research facility. And now two agents have arrived on Jacob’s Ladder in search of someone—or something—they refuse to identify. Although a sense of foreboding hangs over these men, an greater threat has arrived, one so strange even the island animals are in a state of high alarm.

Katie soon finds herself in an epic and terrifying battle with a mysterious enemy. But Katie’s not alone after all: a brave young girl appears out of the violent squall. As Katie and her companion struggle across a dark and eerie landscape, against them is an omnipresent terror that could bring about the end of the world.

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Judgement Prey by John Sandford ( Davenport #33)

Judgment Prey by John Sandford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It seems that Sanford has discovered the winning formula. Davenport and Flowers together is just better. Starting with 2021's Ocean Prey, and 2022's Righteous Prey we now have Judgement Prey. These last few books have the feel and pacing of the Davenport books before his Marshall career began.
JP begins with the murder of a Alex Sand, a federal judge and his two young sons. Speculation immediately abounds that it must be someone he sent to jail and has a vendetta, but the more the case is looked at that motive doesn't fit.
Enter Lucas and Virgil to do what they do best. Find answers. In the meantime, the judge's former actress wife, has ideas of revenge herself. After an out of the box idea occurs to Lucas, it becomes apparent that this idea that maybe the boys were the target and not the father becomes more real. Sand's wife has an idea of who it may be but refuses to tell, wanting to kill the killer herself with the help of a friend.
Throw into the mix a dodgy charity with an eccentric and possibly crazy caretaker and you have the making of a very good and satisfying novel.
Long live this series!

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Call Me Hunter by Jim Shockey ( Hunter#1)

Call Me Hunter by Jim Shockey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC. This is not a paid review.
Wow. That's pretty much sums it up. This is one of the most original thrillers I have ever read. It has everything that you could really want. An enigmatic storyline, fully fleshed characters, and writing that is just spectacular. The only thing that I can think of that I have read that made me feel this way was I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes, which is a classic 10 years later.
Jim Shockey has really done something here. There are only a few thrillers writers that have a hook, and their stories never get old. Silva, Petrie, Hurwitz and Carr to name a few. Shockey has joined that pantheon with his freshman effort.
Call Me Hunter has one of the best Preface's I have ever read. Preface? Really? Yes, really1 In it he tells you to go ahead and pick names or situations and google it or them. You will find they really exist. If that doesn't catch your attention I don't know what will. But then the book starts and its just magic. From the first line. "Zhivago is dead." And it just continues from there. No spoilers here. Sorry. But if you want a book that has ancient mysteries, really bad guys, a shadowy world wide organization that is more powerful than governments, a beautiful, vulnerable protagonist, and a very mysterious hero who has a super power, but it's not what you think. It has it all.
Do yourself a favor and pick it up, better yet I would buy one because I feel that these first editions will increase in value. He and it is that good.
Looking forward to the next installment.

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True Believer by Jack Carr ( Terminal List #2)

True Believer by Jack Carr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great book. I loved Terminal List but held off in reading book 2… you just never know how the sophomore efforts are lacking.. not here.. great continuation.. very good writing..
Still believing that is demise is Imminent and on the run from the events in The Terminal List, we find Reece on a boat in the middle of the ocean thinking he will die soon.
Instead, after making landfall and finding a fulfilling life in Rhodesia with an Uncle of one of his best friends on a hunting preserve, the G comes calling and needing him fir a mission with amnesty in the balance as well as the information is that he isn't going to die. What follows is pure Carr.. Action and thrills enough for 3 books.

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Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz (Orphan X #9)

Lone Wolf by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Special thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for the Advance Reading Copy. This is not a paid review.
I would actually pay to read this series! There are a few spoilers, be aware.
The Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz is by far the best thriller series that is currently in process. Every book is better than the last and Lone Wolf is the best so far. After 9 books it is astounding the growth that Hurwitz imbues in Evan Smoak.
Unlike previous X books, Lone Wolf starts a little different. Evan answers his Roamzone with his typical, "How can I help you?" Only to hear the voice of his estranged brother, Andre's daughter Sofia. Asking The Nowhere Man to find her dog. A snaggle toothed psychotic mutt.
Thus begins an X like other.
Feeling the need to help this little girl, who is family, Evan isn't quite sure how to navigate. Feelings aren't his thing. So, using all the tools at his disposal including the massively awesome hacking and computer skills of his ward, Joey, they set out to find the missing mutt.
They get a ping from a traffic camera of the dog being picked up by a nice looking gentleman and they track him to his home.
In the meantime, there is an assassin afoot that is as brutally efficient as the Nowhere Man and her next target is the man in question who just happens to be a genius AI developer.
As Evan gets to the house to procure the dog, he finds the door open and the good doctor killed with the assassin still there.
What follows is a tour d force of action, and drama with purely joyous exchanges between Evan and those who become involved. Insane billionaires, a beautiful assassin, and most of all Joey and the doctor's teenage daughter who has a bullseye painted on her back which Evan must save. . This is Smoak at his best.

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Red Queen by Juan Gomez-Jurado ( Antonio Scott #1)

Reina roja by Juan Gómez-Jurado
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance eBook. This is not a paid review.
What can I say. This. Book. Was. Awesome! I read the soon to be released English language version known as Red Queen.
Great writing if the English translation was accurate to the author's intent. Antonia Scott is the next great thriller character. My only regret is that I don't read Spanish! Waiting for the sequels is going to be a long, hard wait.
Antonia Scott is part Lisbeth Salander and actually, Rain Man. Yeah, weird but it so works. Antonia is brilliant, she is probably one of the smartest people on the planet, and in so being is sometimes incapacitated by her brilliance. She is a a member of the Red Queen project who are the smartest of the smart and catch the worst of the worst. Antonia's superior is the enigmatic, Mentor.

After a personal trauma that has left her husband in a coma, Antonia has refused to work in quite awhile, but not for lack of Mentor trying.
Enter disgraced, gay, police investigator, Jon Gutierrez. He's a big guy with a heart of gold who has made a mess of his career trying to protect a prostitute. Mentor throws him a lifeline. All of the mess can go away if he can get Antonia to work again.
What starts is an unlikely pairing of the two investigating a shocking crime scene of a ritualistic murder and the subsequent kidnapping of one of Spain's wealthiest men's daughters, who will become a victim herself if her father doesn't do as the creepy Ezekiel has asked, something that he just can't bring himself to do.

There are twists and turns and surprises, and great chemistry between two unlikely people. Red queen is everything a thriller should be.

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Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells ( Murderbot #7)

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Murderbot is the best. I envy those of you who have not discovered Martha Wells and this cool series.
In Fugitive Telemetry, we have a good old murder mystery. Secunit (aka Murderbot) is still on Preservation protecting Mensah when a murder occurs. As no one trusts Murderbots, the Security Services look askance at SecUnit, but eventually warm to it and use its services.
A fun fun little book..

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Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson ( Malazan #2)

Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The stunning breadth and depth of Erickson’s creation is on display here. He paints a massive canvas of characters and peoples that is mind blowing.
Onto book 3!

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Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson ( Malazan #1)

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have looked at this book for years.. but never quite gave it a chance.. Now, after finishing it I wonder why I waited so long.. Martin and Jordan have nothing on Erickson.. huge world building, a massive cast of characters, well drawn engaging protagonists and a history of his work that is staggering.
This is not a tra-la-la fiddle dee dee book. It’s dark and brutal and just plain awesome in so many ways. The magic systems rock and the dialogue just sings.
What happens when an empress is hell bent on conquering everything in her path and is willing to go to any lengths to do it.. ? It’s usually the everyday people who get crushed.. but they can also be heroes.
Just give it a go. You will be glad you did.

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The Runaway by Nick Petrie ( Peter Ash #7)

The Runaway by Nick Petrie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are very few authors, especially in the thriller genre, who can keep a consistently stellar level. Nick Petrie and his Peter Ash series is one of these gems.
The writing is crisp, the characters leap off the page and the action is non stop.
In The Runaway, we meet Helene. A beautiful young woman living in very rural Montana who has no family, a dead end job at the Gas & Go and a sleazy boss who also happens to be a Sheriff.
In the middle of another deadly, boring night at the Gas & Go. A truck pulls in with a ruggedly handsome man, Roy along with his partner.
Roy is nice to Helene and in a spur of the moment decision, Helene decides to get away from her life and joins the two men. A decision that will end up having dire consequences.
The novel begins with the backstory of Helene and her travels with Roy. She soon finds out that this is a big mistake, but only after she sees first hand the real Roy.
Months later, pregnant and on the run again, she meets Peter.
Peter tries to help her but Roy is well organized and connected and will not let Helene go, even if that means Peter has to die.
What follows is one of Petrie's best books to date. We still have June and Lewis along for the ride, but this story is all Helene's and Peter's and what a story it is.
Do not miss this one!

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The Match by Harlan Coben ( Wilde #2)

The Match by Harlan Coben
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Harlan Coben rocks and Wilde is one of his best creations ever.
Wilde, The Boy from the Woods, stars again in The Match.
Picking up where TBftW left off, but a few months later, we follow Wilde as he tries to find out where he came from and who may be family.
After a DNA website sends him a message from a potential relative, named PB, Wilde also discovers who my be his father.
Even more strange is the elusive PB.. who turns out to be a huge reality TV star whose star has fallen.
Throw in the seamy side of reality tv, a visit from an earlier Coben book The Stranger, greedy people, FBI agents and a killing spree and you can’t put it down.
We still have all of favorites, Hester, Matthew. Oren and Wilde’s lovable adopted sister and your have a great book.

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The Gatekeeper by James Byrne (Dez Limerick #1)

The Gatekeeper by James Byrne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC. This is not a paid review..
This book was awesome! A great new series to look forward to! Dez Limerick is the man!

Dez is a Gatekeeper.. which as he explains means he opens doors.. all kinds of doors, very covert doors at times. He also has skills that raise him a bit above those around him.

While taking a break from gatekeeping, he goes to California to play bass in a band for a bit.
But being a gatekeeper he notices things. Like all the makings of a kidnap attempt to a very high profile woman in his hotel. Being a gentleman, he has to help.

Asked by the woman, Petra Alexandris, chief legal counsel to Triton Industries as well as the owners daughter to find out what is going on, Dez uncovers a diabolical plot that will not only affect her company but the USA as we know it.

Great characters, fantastic language and the engaging Dez make this a must read for any thriller fan.

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